Hammurabi’s Code (2024)

Hammurabi's Code of Laws

Much of our society is organized and run by a standard of codes, ethics, morals, and laws. Interestingly, as ancient civilizations continued to develop, they too relied on laws and codes to keep order in the empire. The Code of Hammurabi was the first set of laws that were actually written down, making it the first written legal document.

Hammurabi ruled Babylon from 1792-1750 BCE and created the codes to protect its citizens. Before the codes, each case was judged separately and in a chaotic way. The codes regulated trade, business, and social relationships in Babylon. It also teaches us about Mesopotamian society such as their class divisions and political economic factors.

Hammurabi’s code was a very modern concept for this time and has influenced all the populations since then. Society today would not be the same if it were not for Hammurabi establishing this set of laws. His code demonstrates the start of an organized society and civilized group of people.

Hammurabi’s Code (2)

Hammurabi’s Code was written on clay tablets that contained a collection of 282 laws most famously paraphrased by the expression, "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth". Most of the laws related to property rights of landowners, merchants, builders, and slave masters.

Some of the laws were brutal and the death penalty was mentioned at least 30 times. Hammurabi’s Code is thought to have established the principle of “innocent-until-proven-guilty."

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Hammurabi’s Code (3)

There were three main classes in Babylonian society (upper, middle, and lower) and the code punished the guilty party based on their class.

Although, there was justice and people got punished for crimes that they committed, punishments were more severe for those of the lower class than the higher class.

Hammurabi’s Code focused more on creating peace than actually on giving people the equality they deserved. Hammurabi’s code expressed the idea that social order was more important than individual rights.

For example, a family’s wealth should be administered by the husband/father. Women, especially widows and divorcees, needed society’s help and the codes sought to provide protection for them.

Therefore, there was some equality, but not as much as perhaps there should have been.

Hammurabi’s Code (2024)

FAQs

What was the code of Hammurabi short answer? ›

The Code of Hammurabi is a Babylonian legal text composed during 1755–1750 BC. It is the longest, best-organized, and best-preserved legal text from the ancient Near East. It is written in the Old Babylonian dialect of Akkadian, purportedly by Hammurabi, sixth king of the First Dynasty of Babylon.

What are the 282 codes of Hammurabi? ›

These 282 case laws include economic provisions (prices, tariffs, trade, and commerce), family law (marriage and divorce), as well as criminal law (assault, theft) and civil law (slavery, debt). Penalties varied according to the status of the offenders and the circ*mstances of the offenses.

What does law 199 of Hammurabi's Code mean? ›

199. If he put out the eye of a man's slave, or break the bone of a man's slave, he shall pay one-half of its value.

What does Hammurabi's Code reveal? ›

The codes regulated trade, business, and social relationships in Babylon. It also teaches us about Mesopotamian society such as their class divisions and political economic factors.

What is the first legal code? ›

Definition. The Code of Ur-Nammu (c. 2100-2050 BCE) is the oldest extant law code in the world. It was written by the Sumerian king Ur-Nammu (r.

Why was Hammurabi's code so important? ›

The Code of Hammurabi provided a set of rules that could be used in most aspects of Babylonian life. It ensured that there was a consistent system in place for people to solve problems and understand their place within the society.

What is law 102 Hammurabi's code? ›

102. If a merchant entrust money to an agent (broker) for some investment, and the broker suffer a loss in the place to which he goes, he shall make good the capital to the merchant. 103. If, while on the journey, an enemy take away from him anything that he had, the broker shall swear by God and be free of obligation.

What is the Code of Hammurabi 141? ›

141. If the wife of a man who is living in her husband's house, has persisted in going out, has acted the fool, has waster her house, has belittled her husband, he shall prosecute her. If her husband has said, "I divorce her," she shall go her way; he shall give her nothing as her price of divorce.

What does the Code of Hammurabi 42 mean? ›

§ 42. If a man has hired a field to cultivate and has caused no corn to grow on the field, he shall be held responsible for not doing the work on the field and shall pay an average rent.

What are the funny laws of Hammurabi? ›

If a son of a lover say to his adoptive father or mother: "You are not my father, or my mother," his tongue shall be cut off. If a son strike his father, his hands shall be cut off. If a man knock out the teeth of his equal, his teeth shall be knocked out.

What is the law 196 of the Code of Hammurabi? ›

One of the most well-known sections of the Code was law #196: “If a man destroy the eye of another man, they shall destroy his eye. If one break a man's bone, they shall break his bone. If one destroy the eye of a freeman or break the bone of a freeman he shall pay one gold mina.

What is the most famous law in Hammurabi's code? ›

"Hammurabi, the king of righteousness, on whom Shamash has conferred the law, am I." "An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth."

What best describes Hammurabi's code? ›

The word that best describes Hammurabi's Code is "complex."The Hammurabi Code is a Babylonian law code of ancient Mesopotamia, which was issued in 1754 BCE. The code consists of 282 laws that were written on a stele for everyone to see, and it is one of the earliest examples of a written legal code.

What is Hammurabi best known for? ›

Hammurabi (r. 1792-1750 BCE) was the sixth king of the Amorite First Dynasty of Babylon best known for his famous law code which served as the model for others, including the Mosaic Law of the Bible. He was the first ruler able to successfully govern all of Mesopotamia, without revolt, following his initial conquest.

Was Hammurabi's code just? ›

Hammurabi's Codes Were Just And Sometimes Unjust

Also he would have not as harsh punishments like, giving people money or cutting off their hands. Hammurabi had a lot harsher punishments for woman that did not obey the codes and not as harsh punishments for men that did not obey the laws.

How are Hammurabi's code and the 10 commandments similar? ›

Answer and Explanation:

Both the Ten Commandments and Hammurabi's Code were attempts to create permanent rules for maintaining social order. The two of them attempted to address the most pertinent issues of their time, in regards to the cultures for which they were created, using divine instruction as their sources.

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